While I think we should be good stewards of the earth, I wonder how much protection and species promotion we should do for creatures that eat us.
A friend of mine had an alligator take up residence in her pond not all that far from here. Alligators are not supposed to be this far inland, but this one was. The Department of Natural Resources people wouldn't let her move it. It ate her ducks and geese. Just who is looking out for them?
It disappeared. I haven't asked any questions, but no one was sorry to see it go.
And now a man swimming in a recreational area of Lake Moultrie lost his arm to a 550 lb. alligator. Just why are we so very cautious and respectful about creatures that want to eat us. Read the story here.
I'm not saying to kill them off or let their numbers dwindle to extinction or even close. There just don't need to be quite so many alligators where there are people.
Unless, of course, we could feed the people who make such rules to them....
Story update September 18, 2007 at 8:06 a.m.:
They were unable to re-attached the man's arm. I didn't realize that when the man stumbled out of the water missing his arm and bleeding badly, that he came upon a group of picnicking nurses! Was God looking out for him or what.
I was also glad to read in this article that the laws regarding alligators are being revamped.
When I was a teenager, I was waterskiing in the Intracoastal waterway in N.C. when I skied past a swimming alligator. I prayed and prayed that my father wouldn't suddenly stop the boat, leaving me to sink into the water with the 'gator. He didn't (nobody saw the alligator but me, but I was the only one who had skied past it). If he had, I imagine I would have found a way to walk on water back to the boat. As it was, I hung on to that ski rope for miles and miles. That didn't stop me from doing it another day, though.
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